S-Series

My girlfriend and I have been using the info on this forum to help troubleshoot problems with her '98 SL2 for some time. Recently, it's been going through a phase of needing some new parts, which is not all that surprising given the age of the car. When we took it back to a local shop after they replaced the tensioner pulley and belt a new problem arose - choking and stalling out.

With a several General Motors recalls underway - especially ones for the Saturn Ion, Outlook, and Sky - I've received emails from quite a few folks who are concerned that their vehicles might be impacted. If you haven't received a letter in the mail from GM and you are worried, General Motors has set up an online database that's searchable by VIN.

The mysterious Saturn SL3 is the loch ness monster of the Saturn world. Some have witnessed proof of its existence, but only a few have seen it and I'm not aware of any photos of the vehicle. I've been told that if you can imagine a first-generation SL2 sedan with a SC2 grafted on the front-end, you'd have a good picture in your head of the SL3. Significantly, it was powered by an 2.5L 30-valve inline six-cylinder powerplant (five valves per cylinder!) that reportedly produced around 250 hp.

On this date in 1990, Saturn sold its first car. According to the St. Petersburg Times, the first Saturn - the blue SL2 sedan shown above - was sold just after midnight to Elaine Terry at Saturn of Clearwater. "I wanted an American-made car and decided to give it a try," Mrs. Terry told the newspaper. It was a 25th wedding anniversary present. USA Today and CNN were reportedly at the retail facility to document the event. "I kept it for 10 months and put over 5,000 miles on it. People all over the country wanted to buy the car from me. One man in Las Vegas was talking up to $100,000 for it."

Model year 1994 marked what Saturn called "Balanced Excellence" in terms of offering customers exceptional value for their money in the small car market. Attaining "balanced excellence" required Saturn to pay critical attention to a host of buyer expectations. Among them were a high level of performance without sacrificing fuel economy or emissions; affordability while maintaining reliability and durability; and an overall commitment to quality without compromise. Accompanied by numerous continuous refinements, the family of 1994 Saturn sedans, wagons and coupes were proof that "balanced excellence" could be achieved through subtle refinements and continuous improvement.

With its turbocharged engine and sizzling yellow-to-red paint scheme, the Saturn SCX three-door coupe ignited the passion of performance-car enthusiasts. The SCX's 1.9-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine was modified by Saturn Motorsports of San Diego to yield an estimated 300 hp, more than double the engine's normal output in the Saturn SC2. Along with its hot engine, the SCX boasted a high level of handling and sporty appearance cues that reflected the car's performance capabilities.

This morning's "Did You Know?" trivia focuses on Saturn and the environment. Saturn was concerned with how its cars affect the environment throughout the car's lifetime -- from design, to manufacture, to use by owners, to final disposal.

Shown above are the body, suspension, and chassis specifications for Saturn's 1991 sedans (SL, SL1, SL2) and coupe (SC). They were all built off of Saturn's so-called "Z" platform, which was essentially a compact front-wheel-drive steel spaceframe chassis.

Sometimes its fun to pause for a moment at take a look back at how much things cost years ago. Take for instance Saturn's 1991 lineup, when base SL sedan was sold for less than $8000! The SL2, shown above, could be purchased for just over $10,000. Note the simplicity of the option sheet, along with the available anti-lock braking system (ABS) and unavailable airbags.

In Saturn's early days, the company's brochures were always a little bit different from your "typical" vehicle brochures. In addition to showcasing that model year's new features, Saturn used the pages of its brochures to tell a story about what made its cars different. You'll notice how none of the brochures below even show a car on their covers.

Random Article from the SaturnFans.com Archives

Last week General Motors announced Buick would begin selling a new compact crossover in 2010. Later in 2011, the vehicle will feature the company's state-of-the-art plug-in hybrid technology. The Buick will be launched with two of fuel-efficient direct-injected gasoline engines: Ecotec 2.4L direct-injected four-cylinder engine with an optional 3.0L direct-injected V6. GM says the 2.4L will deliver 30 miles per gallon or more on the highway, a modest statement since the redesigned and just released 2010 Chevrolet Equinox with the same powertrain earned a 32 mpg rating by the EPA.